Toomer’s Corner in Auburn was toilet paper-free on Saturday, following LSU’s drubbing of the other Tigers on the Plains.
The purple and gold Tigers, quietly under the national radar after losing to Kentucky two weeks ago, seem to be peaking at the perfect time. LSU’s 38-17 drubbing of Auburn is the second straight dominant performance by Lane Kiffin’s squad.
The victory was the first Southeastern Conference road win for LSU (6-2, 4-2) since October 19, 2024, an eight-game road losing skid.
Don’t look now, maybe the LSU Tigers are not dead yet.
Behind the superb play of quarterback Sam Leavitt, the Tigers raced out to a 31-10 halftime lead, scoring on five of six first half possessions, and never looked back.
Leavitt continues to improve, posting a career high of 387 passing yards and three scores through the air, while adding a fourth touchdown with his legs at the end of the first half. More importantly, Leavitt limited his mistakes, and for the second straight game, he did not throw an interception.
His favorite target of the day was receiver Jackson Harris, who exploded for nine catches, 178 yards and two touchdowns, his best game so far as a Tiger.
Even more significant was the return of All-American tight end Trey’Dez Green. The 6-foot-7 behemoth was a massive jolt of life for LSU’s offense, and Green, returning from a knee injury, picked up where he left off, catching five passes for 50 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the Tigers bottled up elusive Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown, harassing him from the first series, sacking Brown six times. Brown’s 115 rushing yards against Georgia were a major reason the Tigers upset the Bulldogs last week, but LSU’s nasty defense bottled him up, limiting Brown to just 21 rushing yards.
Ultimately, these are the kind of results LSU fans expected to see under Kiffin: offensive fireworks that lead to big wins, especially against inferior opponents.
So, what does all this mean now for LSU in the SEC title race?
A couple weeks ago I wrote that LSU needed a miraculous undefeated finish and some good fortune to keep its playoff hopes alive. Now, the Tigers may not even need the former (but it certainly would help) with the chaos unfolding in the SEC.
There are no undefeated SEC teams, and only two teams have one loss (Georgia and Kentucky). Including LSU, there are eight SEC teams with two losses, and LSU plays three of those two-loss teams in November. Georgia may suffer a second loss next week against Florida during the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, but the SEC race will truly take shape on November 7, which features five matchups of current SEC teams that have two losses or less.
October is for pretenders, yet November is for contenders. Kiffin and LSU have an SEC gauntlet awaiting them in November. The time to prove themselves worthy of a playoff berth is now, and it starts with beating Alabama in two weeks.
My favorite play of the game
With under five minutes remaining in first half, Leavitt hit a streaking Harris over the middle, and Harris outran the Auburn secondary for a 70-yard touchdown reception. Harris has five touchdowns over the last three games and has become a go-to playmaker in Kiffin’s offense.
Looking ahead
LSU has a bye week on Halloween, as it prepares for a grueling November that features home dates with Alabama and Texas, then road trips to Tennessee and Arkansas to end the season. Get your popcorn ready, November will be wild in the SEC.